Future Problems
by Sapphyre Blu
Summary: For a long time Mutant X has lived in a tangled web of secrets and lies. Some children show up from the future who, little by little, unravel that web until the truth is known. Read, review, mostly enjoy.
1. 2Chronicles 20: 8,9 NKJV

Disclaimer: I only own my own characters, but nothing else.

* * *

2 Chronicles 20:8-9(New King James Version)

And they dwell in it, and have built You a sanctuary in it for Your name, saying, 'If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name _is_ in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.'

* * *

The Mutant X team had found Adam fairly easily. The dominion was in such turmoil they hardly put up any resistance as the team took Adam from the rubble. The man in the wheelchair had left Lexa with keys to the company vans and they left together to see what was salvageable from sanctuary.

The team arrived at sanctuary with heavy hearts. After leaving the van Shalimar locked her arm around Brennan's and Lexa did the same with Jesse. Adam was in the front as they entered…until he stopped abruptly. The rest of the team did the same when they were aware of what Adam saw. Sanctuary was fine, except for the evidence of the scuffle and the small explosion, nothing seemed wrong. The dominion was gone and nothing was out of place.

Jesse immediately ran to the computers to make sure none of the files had been copied. Lexa followed and sat close. Brennan, Shalimar, and Adam went to investigate further.

"Oh my God," Shalimar cried as she saw a blood trail.

The team followed the blood trail down the hall, but jumped as a small child popped out of the corner. The child himself was a little bit startled, but smiled when he saw Brennan. He lifted his arms toward Brennan wanting to be picked up.

"No, Justin c'mon," another child called.

This one was a girl. She had the same blue eyes as Justin, but her hair was blonde and Justin's was dark brown. The little girl took Justin by the hand and ran.

"Ali," she cried "Ali…they're here."

The little girl ran perfectly down the blood trail until she ran in another room.

"Stay at the computers," Adam told Jesse and Lexa.

The remaining three members ran into the room the little girl had run in. When they entered the room Shalimar cupped her hand over her mouth and stepped back. The sight was too much for her. Another child, the one called Ali, lay their in a pool of blood. This one was the oldest but couldn't have been more than twelve. She was sitting propped up against the wall. Two boys close to the same age as the smallest girl stood on both sides of Ali guarding her. It was obvious they were twins.

Ali held her side where the blood was running. She was conscious and breathing, but pale as nothing they had ever seen.

"Ali?" the smallest girl who was holding Justin stood in the corner and asked.

"Don't talk to them," came Ali's immediate reply.

"But it's Brennan," one of the twin boys said.

"I said don't," Ali's voice was surprisingly authoritative for her weakened state.

"Brennan, Shalimar get me a spine board and bandages. Tell Jesse and Lexa to prepare the lab for emergency surgery.

Adam came over to where the bleeding girl was lying. The twins stood up straight resuming their guard duties, but after one firm look from Adam they backed down. By that time Lexa had come in to see what was going on.

"Ali," Adam addressed the little girl, "The children do not have to talk to us, but I need you to tell them to leave with Lexa, so I can take care of you."

"Follow her," Ali said, "and do as they say."

Adam waited for Lexa to take the kids far away then started treating Ali. Just as he had thought, with the children gone Ali allowed herself to play victim.

"It hurts," she seethed as Adam took her hand off the side wound.

"You were shot, I imagine it would."

Adam tore away the girl's shirt to get a better look at the wound. He took his clean hand and moved Ali's long auburn hair to one side. Adam put his arm around her shoulders and gently leaned her forward to make sure there was an exit wound. Ali whimpered at the pain, and Adam sighed relieved that there was in fact an exit wound. Shalimar and Brennan came in with the supplies Adam needed to transport her into the lab.

* * *

"Ali's going to be fine," Lexa told the kids after Adam and Shalimar had been working on her for three hours. "It will be about a day before she wakes up again though." 

Lexa could see the relief in the faces of the older kids. Baby Justin was still too young to understand the situation.

Lexa and Brennan had watched after the kids the entire time. Except for the last twenty minutes because Brennan had left with some DNA samples he had got from them. He told Lexa he was going to give the sample to Jesse and then he would help Adam and Shalimar patch up Ali.

The kids, even Justin, hadn't spoken as they were instructed. Lexa could only take so much silence, and decided to have a one way idle conversation with the kids.

"You two are twins," she said eyeing the older boys. The kids continued drawing on the paper that Lexa had given them. "It can be pretty fun being a twin, I know because I am one…" Lexa was going to continue, but she was interrupted.

"Ali and Jacob are twins, me Samuel and Marcus are triplets," the girl said with ice.

"I'm sorry," Lexa sincerely apologized "you must get that a lot?"

"Yeah," the little girl agreed.

"Em, you're not supposed to talk," either Marcus or Samuel said.

"I don't care," she retorted, "Ali's not our boss."

"Who's Jacob?" Lexa asked.

"Ali's twin brother, he was left in the present," Em responded.

"The present?" Lexa questioned.

"Yes, our parents had nowhere safe to bring us so Ali's mom told Jacob to send us into the past where it was safe. Ali got shoot, and Brenna was taken, so Jacob made us all go through, so that he could get Brenna."

"You're from the future," she questioned Em.

"Yes," was the one word response.  
"Lexa come down here I know who they are," Jesse's voice came from the comm. ring.

* * *

Lexa rushed down after instructing the triplets to watch after Justin. 

"Jesse, they're…"

"From the future I know," he finished.

"Get Shalimar out of the lab and bring her in here."

Lexa did as she was told and brought along one confused Shalimar.

"What was that all about?" Shalimar asked.

"The kids are from the future," was the only thing Lexa could come up with.

"The twins and their little sister…" Jesse addressed Shalimar

"Actually they're triplets," Lexa corrected.

Jesse looked almost pale "The triplets," Jesse gulped, "They're yours…they belong to you and Brennan."

Shalimar stared at Jesse knowing their was more to it.

"Shalimar you are pregnant with them right now."

Jesse had wanted to get Shalimar out of the room with all the chemicals.

"How do you know?" Shalimar asked.

"I could only guess," Jesse explained, but I'm pretty confident. "Ali is the only one who has already been born. Well, her and her twin brother, and they are six right now. Ali told Adam she was twelve so they have to be six years into the future that is about the right time for you to be pregnant with the triplets."

Shalimar felt suddenly faint, she had to sit down.

"It only gets stranger," Jesse cautioned "Lexa, Ali and Jacob are your niece and nephew…they are Leo's children." Jesse stopped he didn't know if he could go further.

"Leo had children," Lexa asked her heart pounding hard.

"That's not the strange part," Jesse said.

"Then what's the strange part?" Lexa demanded.

"Their mother…is Emma."


	2. Daniel 10:14 NKJV

Daniel 10:14(New King James Version)

Now I have come to make you understand what will happen to your people in the latter days, for the vision _refers_ to _many_ days yet _to come._"

* * *

"Wait a minute…wait a minute," Lexa said. "My Leo and your Emma were a couple?" 

"According to the DNA records they were," Jesse answered.

Lexa joined Shalimar sitting down.

"What about baby Justin?" Shalimar asked.

"Yes…that's even stranger," Jesse informed.

Lexa and Shalimar looked at each other. With the onslaught of news Jesse had given them, they didn't know the depth of the word 'stranger'.

"What is it?" Lexa asked cautiously.

Jesse looked sick for a moment then regained his composure.

"Lexa, Justin is your son," Jesse said.

Lexa let out a breath full of relief, "Okay I'm going to have a child in about four years. What's strange about that?"

Jesse gave Lexa a look. He wondered if she had forgotten a previous conversation in which Lexa said something to the extent of mutants having a child was breaking the laws of nature. Lexa returned Jesse a look because he had told her that a few little Lexa's running around would be pretty nice.

"Justin's father is Brennan," Jesse blurted out.

It was Lexa's turn to feel sick. Shalimar felt betrayed.

"What?" came a simultaneous question from the girls.

Jesse moved his mouth around for a few seconds trying to generate words.

"I only know it is true because of the DNA, I don't know _why_ it is true."

Lexa left in a huff. She could feel Shalimar's wrath emanating from her entire body. The elemental ran up the stairs and stood at the door where the children were playing. She took five slow, deep breaths to regain her poise. Lexa calmly walked into the room. The triplets looked up at her from their coloring. Lexa eyed the room. Everything was in place and Justin was sleeping curled up on a chair. Lexa sat on the floor by the coffee table so she could be level with the children. The little girl got up and seated herself on Lexa's lap. The boys stared at the little girl as if she were a traitor.

* * *

"Your name is Em?" Lexa asked playing with the child's long blonde hair.

"Yup," the girl replied popping her lips at the p sound.

"Is it short for Emma?" Lexa asked.

She nodded her head proudly.

"You figured out who we are?" one boy asked.

"Even though we haven't been born yet?" the other finished.

"Only who you belong to," Lexa said. "What are your names?" she asked.

"Em already told you."

"Yes, but she didn't point out who was who," Lexa clarified. "Samuel?" she asked first.

"Nice to meet you," Samuel said kindly.

Samuel stood up very proud and distinguished and sat at Lexa's right side. Lexa almost laughed. The boy had the posture of a soldier, and the demeanor of a gentleman, but his light brown hair was wild, and his clothes were torn. His identical brother, however, had his hair cropped short, and neatly combed back, so that his rusty brown eyes were his prominent feature. He wore crisp, clean clothes that he would fidget with when he was nervous. His posture was slouched, and he had the manner, although subtle, of a cornered animal. Marcus' eyes darted about as if he were waiting for something to jump out of the corner. He watched Lexa with the two kids as if wondering what her intentions were.

"So you must be Marcus?" she said to the last boy sitting away from her.

Marcus still stared assessing the situation. It took him a long moment, but he deemed it safe. Marcus didn't answer Lexa's question. He did crawl over from where he was sitting to her left side and put his head on Lexa's upper arm. He took the arm of his sister and moved his thumbs down her wrist so that her fingers would close without her controlling it. Em laughed and did the same to him. Marcus did this without ever taking his head off of Lexa's arm.

Lexa couldn't help, but wonder about Marcus. Except for the blue eyes that she got from Brennan's father, Em looked just like her mother. She even had the same vibrant, trusting, and caring personality as Shalimar. Samuel was impish, fun, and at the same time logical, comparable to his father. Marcus and Samuel had the shared similar features to Brennan. Their hair was lighter, but would probably darken with age, and their eyes were a nice mix of both Shalimar and Brennan. Personality wise Marcus was cautious, observant, and low key. None of those traits seemed to match either parent. Lexa wasn't thinking that Marcus wasn't part of his family because growing up she too was nothing like her parents. What Lexa was wondering is if Marcus still felt like he belonged.

"I want to play with the Lego again," Marcus said suddenly.

"Me too," chimed Samuel.

"I want to play basketball with my dollies," Em cried gleefully.

Lexa couldn't suppress the laugh that time.

"Basketball with your dollies?" she asked.

"Yup…I usually win that way," she said.

"Somehow it makes perfect sense," Lexa responded getting up with the kids.

* * *

Sanctuary did have a number of toys. The team would buy some each time a person came to visit who had a kid. They had some of the toys the kids would bring over and leave. Adam had toys left from the mutant children he would care for off and on (for years sometimes) until he could find a good family for them. Lexa picked up the sleeping Justin and carried him off with the children.

"Hey," Adam said as they turned the corner going to the den. "We're finished working on Ali, she is just sleeping. Where are you going off to?" He asked them.

"I'm taking them to the den to play with the toys," Lexa answered.

"Do you want me to change him into a diaper," he said referring to Justin, "while you do that?"

"He's still in diapers?" Lexa asked.

"Only when he sleeps," Em answered.

Adam gave her an I-could-have-told-Lexa-that-myself smile. That only made Em grin big. Adam had found the children's belongings, including Justin's diaper bag, in the room where Ali lay bleeding. Justin's bag had a mix of underwear and diapers so it was easy to deduce that Justin was still too young to have control over his bladder when he slept.

"Sure," Lexa said handing over Justin to Adam.

"Okay," Adam smiled and left.

Lexa watched as Adam left with her son. Of course Adam didn't know that just yet. Justin was hers that made him special, but he was hers and Brennan's, and that only made it strange. She didn't mind giving him to Adam, especially since she didn't know how to change diapers.

* * *

"Brennan, do you find Lexa attractive?" Shalimar asked him suddenly.

Shalimar had spent plenty of time blowing off steam from the shocking news Jesse had delivered. She spent that time thinking of every logical, probable, reason Brennan would ultimately end up with Lexa. She didn't like any of them.

Brennan stared at Shalimar adamantly for a minute. She was serious there was no doubt about it.

"Is there a right answer to this," Brennan asked ever so cautiously.

"Do you, or don't you?" The feral asked.

Brennan had to stop for a second to think of the right words.

"You do don't you," Shalimar accused Brennan because he couldn't find the words fast enough.

"Shalimar," he said and grabbed her arm before she left, "I think Lexa is pretty, but I am attracted to you."

"I'm pregnant," she told him.

Brennan had to think for a second. He couldn't understand what the first accusation had to do with the second statement.

"That's wonderful," he said standing up and hugging her.

"Not wonderful," Shal responded putting her head on Brennan's shoulder, but not returning the hug.

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked, he still hadn't released his embrace on her.

"I'm pregnant with triplets," this made Brennan take a step back, but he still had his hands on Shalimar, "but not just any triplets the ones who are playing in the den with Lexa."

"The kids are from the future?" Brennan asked.

"Yes."

"Brennan, I never wanted one kid now I'm pregnant with three. My first thought would have been to end the pregnancy, but obviously I'm not going to especially now since I've seen them…and now I find out you're in love with Lexa."

"What does this have to do with Lexa?" Brennan asked very confused.

"Remember the little boy Justin?"

Brennan nodded.

"He's Lexa's son…but you're his father."

Brennan relinquished his hold on Shalimar.

"What?" he asked.

"You heard me right," was the response.

At this point Brennan would have given his right arm to be in a pool of man-eating sharks, with his legs tied up, no source of protection, and bleeding profusely from that arm he had given, than be interrogated by a moody feral.

"Shalimar, me and Lexa do not have feelings even resembling that for each other."

"What about Emma did you have a thing for her?" Shal asked with anger.

Man-eating sharks still sounded appealing, but at this point he would have given his left arm to know what the heck Shalimar was talking about.

"Maybe a little bit in the beginning," Brennan answered on the defense.

"When Emma died she was pregnant, was the baby yours?" Shal asked.

"No," Brennan answered quickly, being that he never slept with Emma.

"So the baby was Leo's," Shalimar said.

"Leo…Leo Pierce?" Brennan asked.

Shalimar didn't say anything she only left the room.

Brennan more fell than sat down. He put his pounding head down in his hands and tried to think of a place that may have hungry sharks.

* * *

"Why would you and Brennan hook up?" Jesse asked Lexa.

The triplets were helping Adam make dinner and Justin was watching cartoons.

"I wouldn't hook up with Brennan," Lexa defended herself.

"Well, obviously you did."

"Jesse, I can't defend myself when I haven't done anything…yet."

"Yet," Jesse sighed.  
"I don't know what to tell you."

There was a long moment of silence.

"You were hoping Justin would be ours didn't you?" Lexa asked sincerely.

"Yes," Jesse answered not fully able to meet her eyes.

* * *

The Mutant X team finally went to bed. Tensions and anxieties were higher than they had ever been. Nobody knew what kind of future could be so bad that only the past was safe. Nobody could find a paper trail that linked Emma and Leo Pierce and nobody knew the burning question what events led to Lexa and Brennan having a child? The children had no answers they were too young to understand the questions. The only one who could help them was Ali and she was still asleep in the lab…until a few hours after the team went to sleep.

Ali woke up slowly. Her side was sore and she felt as if she were made of lead. None of that seem to matter as soon as she heard a whooshing sound and a portal to accompany it. She sat up and cradled her side. Ali waited for the human figures to jump out of the portal. Sure enough, there were two of them, Jacob and Brenna.

"Ali, thank God, I wasn't sure what happened to you," Jacob said giving his sister a hug with his free arm.

Jacob had been carrying Brenna. Ali instructed him to put Brenna in the bedroom with all the other children. After he did that he went back into the lab.

"Jacob, we didn't go far enough back," Ali cried, "We were supposed to go far enough back to where our mom is still with the team. Instead Lexa is here, and the dominion just collapsed, you know what that means?"

"Mutant X has been living with a traitor and they are about to find out who," Jacob answered.

"It is still going to be a few weeks before the traitor is revealed, but that was the first step into the horrible future we escaped from."

"Ali, if you are asking me what to do, I don't know. I can't make my powers send you back any further than this. Maybe instead of you trying to find another family for the little ones you should try to stop the future we live in from happening."

"I don't like how many times you used the word 'you' as in me. What about you? Aren't you going to help?"

"I'm trying to protect the present…"

"You're twelve years old," his sister yelled.

"Everybody is dead. There is only one person who can help and I have to track that person down."

"Jacob, please stay here," Ali pleaded.

Jacob didn't respond he formed another portal and jumped back into the future.

Ali's presence had changed the course of history. The traitor who was supposed to be revealed later heard the conversation amongst the two kids. Ali looked up just as the traitor walked into the room. She opened her mouth to scream, but her mouth was covered by a cloth full of chloroform. Ali passed out before she felt herself being picked up and taken away by her kidnapper.


	3. Ezekiel 28:15 NIV

Ezekiel 28:15(New International Version)

You were blameless in your ways  
from the day you were created  
till wickedness was found in you.

* * *

Lexa awoke boxed up in her own bed. Above her was a headboard, on each side of her two identical boys and at the bottom of her a little girl. All three belonged to Brennan and Shalimar. Lexa cursed inwardly at herself. Despite what Jesse thought she really did like children. She only didn't like the thought of mutants having more mutant children. The molecular scooted herself up so that her back was resting against the headboard. Lexa looked around her. There was no way of leaving her bed without jumping over a kid. Instead she decided she would just move one kid. Lexa picked up Samuel and put him on the other side of her so that he was beside his brother. Samuel opened his eyes and laughed.

"Mom," he said in a sleepy voice.

The smile started disappearing off his lips as he began to fall back asleep.

Lexa wasn't his mom, but she let the mistake go.

"Why are you in my bed?" She asked him quietly.

"Brenna and Justin went into our dad's room," he said before he fell asleep.

Brenna, Lexa remembered Em talking about her. Lexa got out of bed and dragged Em off the foot of the bed and over by her brothers. Lexa put on a robe and walked into the elemental's room. Sure enough there he was sleeping soundly, probably oblivious to the fact that two kids were sharing the bed with him. Just as she thought that, Justin began to stir. He opened his eyes and when he saw Lexa he stood up on the bed. Lexa came over and picked him up. She looked around the room and found a balled up pair of socks. She took the socks and threw them at Brennan's head. She evilly grinned once the shot nailed him. Brennan grumbled a little bit and looked at her angrily. Lexa moved her eyes to where a small girl lay. Brennan looked at her and then back at Lexa.

"Who's she?" he mouthed.

Lexa mouthed the little girl's name to him.

"What?" he mouthed back.

Lexa shrugged her shoulders and placed Justin higher on her hip.

Brennan leaned over and shook the little girl's back.

The little girl flipped over onto her back she had dark brown hair and sparkling blue eyes. The girl couldn't have been much older than the triplets. Her blue eyes looked to Brennan, but she said nothing.

"And you would be?" he asked.

The child sat up and looked Brennan in the face.

"Okay, come on," he said getting everyone out of his room.

* * *

Brennan put on some pants and came to the hallway. Lexa stood there still holding Justin.

"You guys," Adam said, "have you seen Ali? She's not in the lab."

"No," came a simultaneous response.

"We'll help you look," Lexa said authoritatively.

"No good I already searched through sanctuary. I was just on my way to both your rooms, but your awake. Jesse and Shalimar are also missing."

"Maybe Ali is with one or both of them," Brennan suggested.

"If she is, they're going to get an ear full. Ali is not well enough to be moved around."

Brennan and Lexa watched Adam. Adam didn't notice that there was a new child in sanctuary, he also didn't notice as her lower lip began to tremble.

"Shalimar? Jesse?" Adam called to his ring

"What's up," came only one voice.

"Shalimar, where are you?" Adam asked.

"I was jogging," came the response.

"Are you rock climbing?" Adam interrogated.

"Yes," was the guilty response.

Adam hated Shalimar climbing Storm King Mountains. It was dangerous and unstable.

"Would you please come back into sanctuary? We can't find Ali, and we could use your help."

"I thought you had her," Shal said.

"Why?" Adam asked.

"The car is missing."

Adam ran to the hangar. Sure enough, the car was missing. Adam turned around when he heard a child crying. She had run from the hallway to the living room, and buried her head in the couch.

"Who's she?" Adam asked.

"Her name is Brenna," Lexa said.

Justin started shifting in Lexa's arms and began to cry himself.

"I'll get him breakfast," Lexa volunteered.

Adam went over to Brenna and put his hand on her back.

"What's going on sweetie?" Adam asked her.

"Jesse took her," she said between sobs.

"We will find Jesse and have him bring her back," Adam reassured her.

"You don't understand," she said "he's not coming back."

* * *

**6 hours earlier**

Ali awoke slowly. She had a headache. Her head groggily rolled to the left. She could see Jesse driving fast with his head furrowed in concentration.

"You're going to use me like you used my mom," she said jumping to the point.

"You're mom had a special gift," Jesse said.

He didn't take his eyes off the road, but he patted Ali's knee.

"You forgot something," she said looking down at her tied up hands, "I'm not my mom. I lived in a foster home for three years. My dad and brother were able to live together because my brother is a psionic and my dad was a molecular. I couldn't live with my own father and brother because I am a molecular. They were afraid my dad would teach me how to harness my powers."

"Whose they?" Jesse asked.

"It doesn't matter," Ali said

Ali leaned her head back against the seat. Her head gently rolled on the side and rested against the seat belt Jesse had buckled around her.

"You still have psionic abilities," Jesse said, "I saw it in your DNA. The same way your brother was able to throw you into the past because he gained molecular abilities."

"The rest of your life you are going to this. Take psionic after psionic until you can find the one that shows you the things my mom did. But you don't realize something, my mom was the most powerful psionic in the world and you will never find anyone like her."

Ali gasped and arched her back then relaxed some.

"What happened?" Jesse asked speeding up the car.

He looked at her real quick and then looked back to the road. He was anxious Ali could read it all over him.

"I had a shooting pain," she whimpered, "now a few of my stitches popped out."

Ali moved her bound hands to her side even though it was a stretch. She was holding something Jesse didn't know about…her mother's ring. Ali didn't have the exact DNA as her mom, but she had to hope the DNA was close enough to give off some kind of signal.

"Jesse please it's stuffy in here," Ali cried.

Ali looked pale like she was about to pass out. Jesse saw that and rolled the window down only slightly.

Ali almost rolled her eyes at Jesse's mistake. He didn't fully grasp the concept earlier when she told him that she was a molecular. Her dad was able to shift into different people. She wasn't her dad either, but she was still powerful. The twelve-year-old dropped her mom's ring onto Jesse's floor. Even if Mutant X couldn't find her, they could still track Jesse to his hideout and stop him.

Ali leaned her head as far up to the window as she could to the point she could feel the breeze on her hair. Then Ali turned into a snake and escaped from the open window.

* * *

**A/N: Okay, I'm actually not sure if I want Jesse to be evil himself or have somebody messing with his mind. Some opinions would help. I'll go with the most popular response. **


	4. Ecclesiastes 9:5 NKJV

Ecclesiastes 9:5 (NKJV)

For the living know that they will die;  
But the dead know nothing,  
And they have no more reward,  
For the memory of them is forgotten.

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A/N: Well the votes are in. Since only two people voted (fortunately for the same thing) **Shal 35 **and **Mad Mutant** this is for you. I would also like to thank them and **Tiana-p **and **Melodie** **568** for their kind words. Thanks you guys.

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"What are you talking about?" Adam asked Brenna.

"I thought we were far enough back," she cried, "it's only beginning," Brenna started sobbing.

"What's beginning?" Adam asked calmly as he brushed away hair from Brenna's tear-soaked face.

"Jesse's become bad," she said between sobs, "he kidnapped me while I was trying to escape from the present with the others. Jacob found me and sent me back. I thought we were going farther back…before he turned bad." The child took in some deep jagged breaths, "I don't want to have to watch from the beginning. I'm too scared."

At this point Brenna's body was convulsing with sobs. Adam immediately grabbed her and held her close. He sat down on the couch and put her on his lap.

"Listen to me," he said close to her face as he allowed her to cry in his arm, "We'll figure this out. We will find Ali and bring her back. She'll be able to help us see what is going to go wrong. You won't have to watch from the beginning we will make things right. Think of this as…a second chance."

Brenna's sobs died down.

"A second chance to make things right," he finished.

The girl's sobs went down to a whimper.

Adam looked up for a second only in time to see Shalimar spin on her heel and leave. She had come in unnoticed and heard the whole thing. Shalimar went into the kitchen and hugged Lexa, who had also heard the whole thing, for comfort. Lexa's eyes looked almost as bad as Brenna's.

Lexa watched Justin eating in his high chair. She let a few elusive tears slip down her cheeks as she accepted Shalimar's comfort.

"How do we find Ali?" Brennan asked.

"You gave her Emma's ring when you found out who she was right?" Adam asked.

"Yes," Brennan answered.

"Well, Ali doesn't have the exact same DNA as her mom but she shares half her chromosomes," Adam said.

"Are you suggesting we might get a faint reading off of Emma's ring?" he asked.

"Exactly," Adam confirmed.

Brennan went to the computer and prayed he knew what he was doing. Sure enough, he got it right.

"Emma's ring is in the middle of the city," Brennan called.

Adam was still holding the sobbing girl. Shalimar looked at the location over his shoulder.

"I know where that is," she said, "let's go."

"You do that," Brennan told her, "Ali told me about a hiding space she has. I'm going to check that out."

"Just when did she do that?" Shal asked.

"At one point…in the lab…she regained consciousness," Brennan said.

Brennan was a bad liar. Shal saw right through his flimsy excuse. Shalimar stared him down hoping he would just tell her the truth.

"Go get her," Adam demanded after a minute of the showdown.

Both team members left instantly.

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Shal felt nauseous as she searched the streets for Ali and Jesse. She could not believe her stomach. She had only been pregnant all of two days and she was feeling morning sickness. That wasn't supposed to happen for weeks or months at least she thought. Shalimar tried to reassure herself it was only the breakfast she had to eat fast, not her pregnancy. Shal zipped up her jacket and continued her search.

"Do you see them?" Adam asked.

"No," she reported.

"You should be right by them," Adam told her.

Shalimar looked around. The only thing she was close to was a bench. The feral let her senses heighten. She could smell Ali's blood. Shalimar kneeled down and looked under the bench. Taped underneath was a baggie that had Emma's ring and Ali's blood. On the outside of the bag was a note.

_You'll have to try harder than that_

_-Jesse_

"No luck Adam. It's only the ring and Ali's blood."

She purposely didn't mention the note. She would have to show him that in person.

"Okay come home," Adam said soberly.

Shalimar sat down in her car and stared blankly for a minute. Brennan was holding out on her. She didn't like the concept, but she hoped it would bring Ali home alive.

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Brennan watched Ali play. Her twin brother was on the other side of the room reading. Only it wasn't the twelve year old Ali, it was the six year old, present day, Ali. Brennan walked in the room from where he had been watching them.

"Hey kids," was all he needed to say.

Ali jumped in his arms and Jacob hugged his legs.

"I didn't know you were coming," Jacob said delighted.

"It was unexpected," he told them. "Ali I need to ask you something. If you could get any animal you wanted what would it be?"

"A white kitten with grey ears and a grey tail," she said "are you getting me a kitten?" she added hopeful.

"No sorry sweetie. Not this time," He amended when he realized Ali was disappointed.

"Why did you need to know that?" Jacob asked.

"It's hard to explain," Brennan told them.

Brennan waited for the kids to start playing again before he started looking. He checked the air duct of the kids' room then started searching other rooms. He forgot how extremely huge this place was. The place was called 'The Middle Ground'. The organization was not actually underground. The hundreds of people who lived and worked there had an approach to helping mutants that was more humanistic than Mutant X and less extremist than the Dominion. Fortunately for The Middle Ground, both the Dominion and, outside Brennan, Mutant X, did not even know they existed.

"Tess," Brennan called to a dark haired, feral mutant. "I need you to sniff out Ali," he asked.

Tess pointed to the child in the other room playing.

"No. I know how confusing this will sound, but who I'm looking for smells exactly like Ali, only she is bleeding.

Tess gave him an incredulous for a long second and then activated her feral senses. Tess walked fast down stairs, through hallways, and in various rooms. Finally she stopped.

"She's here," Tess told him, "but I don't see her."

Brennan looked for the nearest air duct. Ali was great with ducts.

Brennan punched in the code to release the duct cover. He looked inside, and very cautiously put his hand in. Brennan prodded around until he felt something soft. Upon taking his hand out of the vent, the elemental procured a white kitten with grey ears and tail. The kitten was bleeding on its side. Brennan knew it was Ali. Brennan cradled the kitten in his arms.

"Oh my gosh," Tess cried. "It's her, but…" Tess trailed off.

"Ali came from a bad future into our present. Jesse kidnapped her, but she managed to escape."

"I need to tell The Keeper," Tess said quietly and walked away.

"Tess, I have to leave. I have to get back to my team," Brennan told her.

Brennan left the room he was in. He almost blushed when he realized he was in somebody's quarters.

Middle Ground was not a hidden building. It is a huge infrastructure in the middle of a city about fifty miles from Mutant X headquarters. Brennan could get there fast because of underground roads. The building is designed to look like a law firm. To thwart any suspicion, it actually is a law firm when entered through the front entrance. What the patrons don't know is that the lawyer is most likely a mutant, or someone who helps mutants. In the back of the building sanctioned off by metal doors and soundproof walls, is an organization devoted to helping new mutants. The Middle Ground has many stories. Most are rooms for the people who work there. Some stories have day cares; one has an infirmary, the first three floors, however, has massive amounts of computers that keep records of new mutants, information on people who harm them, and is jacked into almost every surveillance camera in a 120 mile radius. The person who started the place and keeps it running is called The Keeper; a personal friend of Brennan's.

Brennan put Ali down in his car and drove to the city.

"Hey," he called to her when he pulled over. Ali still hadn't transformed back from a kitten. "Ali, cutie," Brennan coaxed her scratching her head.

He was only met with tired kitten eyes. Brennan rubbed her face a little bit more. Ali turned herself back into the twelve year old she was.

"Guys I found her," Brennan spoke in his ring, "I'm bringing her back," He told them. "Stay strong," he said to Ali who was laying against the window.

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Jesse sat shivering in the toasty house. She had let go of the control she had over his mind, so that his brain could have a rest. If she had stayed too long his brain could have shut down, so she had to let it rest. Jesse hated the rest periods because he could remember everything. The molecular hated himself. He couldn't escape her no matter where he ran, and no matter where he hid, she had a lock on his mind. Instead Jesse put an afghan around his shoulders and tried not to freeze. The coldness was a weird side effect that happened when she let his mind rest. Jesse lay down on the couch, and stared blankly at a TV that was turned off.

"Awe, sweetie it's okay," she said appearing from the basement.

She lifted Jesse's upper body and held him. Jesse didn't look at her. He hated her, and made no attempts to hide that.

She rubbed her hand down Jesse's freezing face.

"Mommy will make it better," She cooed.

That statement never failed to give him the creeps. In his time she was only two years old. In the future Ali came from, she was eight. The one holding him, the one who did not hide her infatuation with him, was twenty. She came eighteen years from the future to make sure certain events didn't transpire. She was using Jesse. She couldn't make herself known to Mutant X, The Middle Ground, or The Dominion, so she manipulated her way into Jesse's mind. She did so little by little so that Emma would never know. Then, after Emma's death, she planted herself there. Jesse knew she existed in him, but was powerless to do anything about her by the time he had discovered the truth. For the past year, she hardly dictated his life, she only made sure he was copying information from the computer, and never told anyone about her. After she had heard Ali in the lab trough Jesse's ears she completely took control of Jesse's body. That way the team would have to figure out how to stop Jesse instead of realizing the truth; they actually had to stop her not him.

Jesse stared at her reflection from the TV. She had a mocha complexion with the same color eyes. Her hair encompassed long wavy dark curls that were beginning to fall on his face. Under any other circumstance Jesse may have found her beautiful. Since this was no other circumstance, Jesse had to deal with the fact that he was merely a vessel for his arch rival….Gabrielle Ashlocke, Gabriel's daughter.

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Ten hours later Ali was well enough to talk. The small children were asleep.

Mutant X all sat with Ali in the lab.

"Ali we need to know what is going to happen," Adam stated, "we need to know what is so bad and what happened to all of us."

"Where do I start?" she asked.

"From the beginning, alphabetically, whatever can give you the answers," Adam told her.

"Okay alphabetically," Ali said, "Adam is dead," she pointed to him, "Brennan is dead," more pointing, "Lexa is dead," she dropped her finger after Lexa, "My brother, Jacob, is looking for Shalimar. He hopes she can help. My guess is she's dead too."

The team had to sit and let that sink in.

"What about your mom?" Shalimar asked. It was an odd question, but Shalimar had a perfectly good reason for it.

"You already know my mom is dead," Ali told her.

"What happened that lead to all this? What was the defining moment?" Adam asked Ali specifically.

"Jesse turning bad shocked all of you. You had to take the threat he was imposing seriously, but none of you took Jesse seriously. None of you were even aware how much destruction he could bring," Ali answered.

"What was his plight, his mission?" Adam asked.

Adam couldn't get an answer there was a whooshing sound that came into sanctuary followed by a vortex.

"That's my brother," Ali said before anyone could panic.

Jacob Pierce did not enter quietly. He fell through the vortex and landed on his back. He screamed in pain for a second as he held onto his stomach as if it would fall out. Still holding his stomach he rolled onto his knees and pressed his head against the floor. He let out another cry, but this was due to frustration not pain.

Adam rushed over to him and rolled him on his back.

"Shalimar's dead," he addressed his sister, "he killed her right in front of me. That's not the worst part…" he said.

Jacob started panting before he could finish.

"Calm your breathing," Adam said reassuringly, "you ribs are broken."

"What's the worst part?" Lexa asked.

All the grownups were standing around him, but Jacob stared at the ceiling.

"The humans and the mutants who opposed Jesse are either dead or slaves. There's no more hope. Something bad happened…"

Jacob couldn't finish that statement either he screamed as Adam was checking his abdomen for more injuries.

"I think he has internal bleeding," Adam said to his team, "Say what you need to say, but make it fast," he told Jacob, "I need to operate on you twenty minutes ago."

"It's not Jesse who's terrorizing the world. It's another woman who has been controlling him. After she killed Shalimar and the last few who resisted she killed Jesse in front of everyone. She saw me about to escape. She started crushing my body with her mind."

"Okay," Adam said letting Jacob know to end. "Shalimar, Brennan, take Ali to her room. Lexa I'm going to need your help," Adam ordered as he lifted Jacob to an exam table.

Brennan went to pick up Ali, but she resisted.

"Adam is really good at this. He will be just fine," Brennan told her.

Ali allowed herself to be carried out. Her eyes never left Jacob until she was out of the lab.

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After many reassurances from Brennan that her brother would be fine, and some pain medication for her side Ali finally fell asleep. Brennan helped Adam and Lexa in the lab until he lost all his usefulness. Then he finally came out into the living room.

Shalimar sat on the couch holding a pillow to her stomach.

"Where is she Brennan?" Shalimar asked. Her eyes looked towards, but not directly at Brennan. "Where is Emma?"

"She's dead," Bren answered confused.

"No, Brenna, she's not," Shal defended, "Brenna is seven years old. That means she's about one year old right now. Emma was two months pregnant when she died two years ago. Dead women do not have babies," Shal put the pillow down on the couch.

"Then Brenna is probably somebody else's kid," he said.

"No," Shalimar said, "She's Emma's, I checked. She's Emma's daughter and she named her after you. I figured that out when I was typing her name in the computer. I added an 'n' at the end out of habit. That spells out 'Brennan'. You must know something if you can figure out where Ali would hide without having talked to her, and both of you are naming your kids after each other."

Brennan kneeled down in front of Shalimar and held both her fists.

"First off you missed coloring time, where you would have found out Em's full first name is Emma-Rose. Secondly, you're right Emma is hiding, but for her safety and your's I can't tell you where. I know you are smart enough not to let the rest of the team know this."

Brennan released Shalimar's fists and left. He stopped at the entrance of the hallway.

"Since it matters to you so much," He said, "Brenna's middle name is Shalimar."


	5. Luke 8:5253 NKJV

Luke 8:52-53 (NKJV)  
Now all wept and mourned for her; but He said, "Do not weep; she is not dead, but sleeping." And they ridiculed Him, knowing that she was dead.

* * *

Brennan had left without mention of where hours before. Shal assumed it had something to do with their fight, but wasn't positive. She sat on the couch Brennan had left her on. She thought about Emma, she thought about Brennan, and she thought about Jesse. Her mind was so conflicted she couldn't hold a single thought for more thirty seconds. The sun had come up an hour before. Lexa was sleeping in the lab watching out for her nephew Jacob. Adam was in his room fast asleep exhausted from all the excitement of the last couple days. Shalimar felt herself about to doze, but one of the children began crying. Adam's room was too far away, and Lexa couldn't hear it in the lab.

Shalimar got up from the couch and went to find out what was wrong. She entered each guest room until she found the crying child. It was Brenna.

"What's wrong?" Shal asked.

"I had a nightmare. I want my mommy," she cried.

Shal stood there unsure of what to do.

"I want my mommy," she cried again.

Brenna was about to go into a wail, but Shal decided to seize an opportunity.

"Okay. I can drive you, but you have to show me where to go."

"I can only figure it out from D'Auria Park," she sniffed.

"Okay, let's go," Shal said.

Shalimar got directions to D'Auria Park and drove Brenna. Shal followed Brenna's directions into an alleyway. The little girl got out and punched a series of bricks when suddenly a tunnel opened for the car. Brenna came back into the back seat.

"Keep driving straight until the lights turn orange."

Shal drove in the underground tunnel each time there was an intersection the lights turned a different color. She drove until the lights went green.

"Turn that way," she said pointing left.

Shal followed her directions until there was a parking garage. She parked the car and followed Brenna who was walking fast. They went up an elevator and then through a series of hallways. Shal passed a few people, but didn't make eye contact. The feral saw her for the first time. Emma, she could be seen through a window on the door. Shalimar stopped Brenna mid stride and held her against herself as she watched Emma in the window. The little girl began to protest, but Shal shushed her. Brenna suddenly realized she had been used. She wasn't happy, but she stopped struggling.

Emma had her hair brown again. It was slightly longer than when Shal last saw her. Emma was wearing a pink shirt with a black jacket and pants. The psionic was talking to Brennan. Shal wasn't surprised to see Brennan. She was a bit surprised to see him holding a baby in pink.

"That's you," Shal whispered to Brenna.

She watched another minute then looked down at Brenna.

"Tell Brennan you need a ride home," she said.

Shal ran down the hallways towards the parking garage. Seconds later she heard more feet racing after her.

"Shalimar, Shalimar stop," she was ordered.

She didn't. She kept running. Some force outside her body made her stand perfectly still. Shalimar couldn't do anything, but wait. Emma popped into her vision after a few seconds. She was breathing hard.

"Shal?" she huffed out.

Emma released the mental hold she had on her friend. Shal stared at her blankly on the outside. Inside her were so many emotions boiling inside her she was on her way to a full fledge panic attack.

"Your okay," Emma said putting her hands on the feral's temples.

The pained expression on Emma's face showed Shalimar that Emma could feel her pain.

"Okay" Emma said again.

The psionic looked directly into her friend's eyes. The last thing Shal remembered was a pink light before everything went dark.

* * *

Emma looked at the six-year-old version of the baby she was holding. Her children were the only piece of Leo she had left.

"What's going on," she finally asked.

Brennan had been telling her about the children, but he hadn't gotten to the part of why they were there.

Brenna played with the present day Ali. Jacob was with a friend elsewhere.

Brennan explained the bad future, but he only knew so much. He told her about Jesse and someone who was controlling him, but he could only give what information he already had.

"We have to change the future," The little girl said as she walked up to her mother. "We can start by reuniting with Mutant X. They never knew you were alive in the future."

"It's not that simple," Emma told her.

"It should be," she said longingly.

"Emma?" The intercom in her room called.

"Yes?" she answered.

"Ms. Fox is coming to," it informed her.

"Thank you," she responded.

She looked at Brennan, "Brenny may have something. We should talk to her."

"Okay," Brennan nodded.

Emma left the baby in the care of her friend and left with Brennan to the infirmary where Shalimar was.

* * *

A/N: Sorry the chapter is short. I'm making my New Year's resolution to finish my stories that are incomplete :) we'll see what happens. I promise the next chapter I will clear up most of mystery behind the future the kids came from. Thank you for your patience.

**Thank you**, so much to my faithful reviewers **Melodie** **568 Mad Mutant Tiana P **and **Earth Fairy 2006**. Also want to give a shout out to **SBfangal** for reminding me I needed to get back to this.


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